1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to developing the next generation mobile wireless communications in simplifying the mobile terminal system that converges multiple wireless transmission standards by constructing the mobile cloud server-client architecture based on the open wireless architecture (OWA) technology platform. The invention discloses cost-effective and spectrum-efficient mobile cloud solutions by introducing the Virtual Mobile Server and Virtual Register and Call Switch (VR/CS) systems and methods associated with the OWA mobile terminal(s). The invention extends to other mobile cloud clients to provide smart lifestyle automation for smart home and smart office integration, convergence and intelligence.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wireless communications comprise a wide range of technologies, services and applications that have come into existence to meet the particular needs of different market sectors and user environments. Different systems can be broadly characterized by:
content and services offered
frequency bands of operation
standards defining the systems
data rates supported
bidirectional and unidirectional delivery mechanisms
degree of mobility
regulatory requirements
cost
The service requirements for telecommunications retain the following characteristics:
Speech and SMS (Short Message System):
This service type requires a peak bit rates up to 16 kbps. In the year 2010 onwards, there will still be the need for this very low data rate application for speech and simple message service. In addition, some applications in the field of sensor communication and/or low bit rate data telemetry would also be expected as ubiquitous communications. Most mobile e-commerce applications would also be categorized in this type.
Multimedia and Low Rate Data:
This service type at a data rate of less than 144 kbps should also be considered, taking into account the compatibility with 3G and 2G data communication applications.
Medium Multimedia:
This type supports a peak bit rate of up to 2 Mbps. This type would be required to sustain compatibility with 3G applications.
High Multimedia:
This type should be considered in order to accommodate high data rate applications, including multi-media video streaming services, which are provided with broadband service in fixed wired communication systems, or with broadband wireless access systems.
Super High Multimedia:
This type should also be considered in order to accommodate super high data rate multi-media applications, which are currently provided with Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) services for wired communication systems.
Currently, these services require different communication devices with different connection facilities that users need to frequently switch between various terminals at home, office and in other environments.
A service usage pattern may be categorized according to an area where users exploit similar services and expect similar quality of service:
Home
Office
Public area
Wide area
In many countries, wireline Internet access in Home, Office and Public Area becomes very popular and affordable. Meanwhile, WLAN (wireless local area network) access is evolving rapidly in these domains.
Mobile communications have evolved rapidly worldwide. But when we look back at the wireless mobile communication history, three major issues remain unsolved:
1. The mobile wireless terminal architecture is too closed.
2. The mobile wireless terminal system is too complicated.
3. The mobile wireless services are too carrier-centric, not user-centric.
The wireless transmission theory of our research tells us that no single wireless transmission technology can provide both broadband high-speed radio transmission and seamless, fast mobility capability in a mobile fast-fading propagation model environment unless we reduce the mobile network capacity tremendously referred to as Lu's Laws in the industry.
Our research shows that when the transmission bandwidth is enough, the information processing consumes much more resources and energies than the transmission processing.
In order to solve the above three problems in mobile communications, let us analyze the current situation first.
In many countries, wireline Internet access in homes, offices and public areas have become very popular and affordable. Meanwhile, WLAN (wireless local area network) access is evolving rapidly in these domains.
Second generation (2G) wireless mobile systems were mainly designed for applications such as voice. Third generation (3G) and especially, fourth generation (4G) mobile system will increasingly be designed as a combination of different access technologies to complement each other in an optimum way for different service requirements and radio environments in order to provide a common and flexible service platform for different services and applications.
Access to a service or an application may be performed using one system or using multiple systems simultaneously or alternatively. Specifically, as will be described within the context of the present invention and has not been addressed in the art, such improved technology could include an integrated and converged communication system, which will combine the wireless mobile communication, wireline communication, wireless local area network, broadband wireless access system and Internet into one common platform so that the single Mobile Terminal can operate as a home phone, office phone, mobile phone and open terminal with a single user number that is the unique identifier of this integrated mobile communication terminal.
In the future, operators may deploy a mix of technologies that could, at various stages in time and subject to market and regulatory considerations, incorporate cellular, WLAN (wireless local area network), WMAN (wireless metropolitan area networks) or called BWA (broadband wireless access), WPAN (wireless personal access network), digital broadcast, satellite and other access systems as discussed by the present invention. This will require the seamless interaction of these systems in order for the user to be able to receive a variety of content via a variety of delivery mechanisms depending upon the particular terminal capabilities, location and user profile.
Different radio access systems will be connected via the open and flexible core networks. In this way, an individual user can be connected via a variety of different access systems to the networks and services he desires. The integration and convergence between these different access systems in terms of horizontal and vertical handover and seamless service provision with service negotiation including mobility, security and service quality management will be key requirements.
Due to the different application areas, cell ranges and radio environments, the different access systems can be organized in a layered structure similar to hierarchical cell structures in cellular mobile radio systems. The different layers correspond to the:
Distribution layer: This layer comprises digital broadcast type systems to distribute the same information to many users simultaneously through unidirectional links.
Cellular layer: The cellular layer may comprise several cell layers with different cell sizes and/or different access technologies.
Hot spot layer: This layer may be used for very high data rate applications, very high traffic density and individual links (e.g. in very dense urban areas, campus areas, conference centers or airports).
Personal network layer: Personal area networks will support short range high-speed direct communication between devices around the users.
Fixed (Wired) layer: This layer includes any fixed wireline access system.
Such an integrated mobile terminal system as provided by the present invention could intelligently converge mobile communications, Internet, wireline communications, wireless LAN, wireless MAN, wireless PAN, etc into an open system platform. Each of these represents a variety of applications, services and delivery mechanisms. These differing information flows are desired by the users to be available regardless of the means and manner of delivery. Most importantly, this mobile terminal becomes the All-in-One common personal communicator at home, the office, or on-the-move with a unified single telephone number.
It is well predicted that 2G (second generation), 3G (third generation in its present state), 4G (fourth generation), future mobile access and nomadic/local area wireless access elements are considered to be a system as a whole in the future. This converged and integrated communication platform as disclosed by the present invention, rather than separate and single mode of standard, will definitely drive the future telecommunication industry, but with a new business model for service providers and operators.
Continuous evolution is foreseen in future mobile terminals, with the use of new components, architectures, hardware, software platforms and improved user interfaces providing increased performance. The key technologies that will enable the future advanced mobile terminals as described in the present invention include:
Open Wireless Architecture (OWA) supporting multiple standards efficiently
Mobile Cloud technology to simplify the mobile terminal architecture
Migrating the service from the carrier-centric to the user-centric platform
Smart antennas and new space/time coding and decoding techniques
High efficiency power amplifiers and filters
Improved RF (radio frequency) modules, allowing higher operating frequencies and improved receiver sensitivity
Advances in signal processing, increased processing efficiency
Improved battery technology with increased energy density
High-performance and low-power signal processing and processor platforms based on OWA
Integration and convergence with wired terminals
A unified global standard of mobile communications is becoming extremely difficult and almost impossible. An Open Wireless Architecture (OWA) based converged wireless platform will thus become reasonable and feasible in both business and technology, and therefore ITU (international telecommunication union) IMT-Advanced standardization has been targeting this direction in the long run.
Open Wireless Architecture (OWA) technology is one optimal solution for the Fourth Generation wireless and mobile communications (4G) and beyond on the worldwide basis. OWA refers to the open broadband wireless platform that can support diverse wireless and mobile standards, and can converge multiple wireless networks. To achieve this flexibility, OWA focuses on all aspects of a communication system including RF (radio frequency), baseband processing, networking and application segments. The flexibility and adaptability required for the converged open wireless platform can be achieved by defining the open interface parameters for the OWA systems and networks.
OWA helps in realizing global roaming facilities and seamless networking capabilities amongst different radio transmission technologies. It allows network operators and subscribers to use third party solutions or user-defined solutions on their systems and to customize their systems according to their business models. Using OWA, we can build systems which support multiple standards, multiple bands, multiple modes and offer diverse services to the customers.
OWA is different from SDR (software defined radio) as OWA basically maps various wireless standards into open interface parameters and maintains the system platform including RF, baseband, networks and applications as an open architecture. Hence, in OWA systems, different modules (both hardware and software) can be from different vendors. It is similar to the open computer architecture in the personal computer system and the open network architecture in the packet router system.
However, SDR is primarily a radio in which the preset operating parameters including inter alia frequency range, modulation type, and/or output power limitations can be reset or altered by software in order to support different radio frequency bands and/or standards. Though SDR has been improved a lot to support re-configurability and flexibility, it is a closed architecture in coupling different radios into one broadband transceiver. In other words, SDR consumes much more power and spectrum in exchange for system flexibility. From the business point of view, SDR is not a cost-effective solution in wireless communications.
Furthermore, SDR uses a broadband transceiver to support multiple wireless standards which is very expensive in the commercial environment. However, OWA converges multiple air interfaces in an open system platform to maximize the transmission bandwidth and system performance, but each wireless transmission still uses the narrowband transceiver, therefore maintaining the system in a cost-effective way that is very important for commercial business.
By using OWA technology, we can converge multiple wireless standards into one open system to support both broadband high-speed radio transmission and seamless fast mobility capability in a mobile fast-fading propagation model environment while maintaining the very high mobile network capacity for commercial mobile business.
In addition, OWA allows allocating multiple air interfaces into an external card so that the users can simply change wireless standards by updating such air interface card without having to change the mobile terminal device or terminal system.
Now, how to simplify the mobile terminal system?
Our mobile research results tell us that when the transmission bandwidth is sufficient, the information processing consumes much more resource and energy than the transmission processing in the mobile terminal system. If we can reduce the processing burdens in the mobile terminal including baseband signal processing, application processing and networking processing, the overall system resources and power usage can be tremendously minimized and the system can be simplified.
The aforementioned OWA technology platform has secured enough transmission bandwidth by converging multiple wireless standards in one common platform so that the mobile terminal can be optimized for best-of-effort high-speed transmission.
By employing a computer server or network server with a home IP address as the Virtual Mobile Server, we can configure this server as the mobile cloud server to handle the processing tasks for the mobile terminal system, which becomes the mobile cloud client accordingly.
When the IP (Internet Protocol) connection is available for the mobile terminal based on OWA network access solution, the aforementioned mobile terminal moves its resource-consuming processing tasks to the remote virtual mobile server through IP connection, so that most of the processing tasks in the mobile terminal are done in the virtual mobile server instead.
Based on the above mobile cloud architecture, the mobile terminal system becomes very simple with basic functions of Transceiver, User Interface and Information Display only.
The OWA mobile cloud infrastructure of the present invention is a revolutionary approach in developing the next generation mobile wireless communications based on the OWA technology platform, which basically discloses the following several major inventions for the future mobile terminal system:
1. OWA provides multiple wireless transmissions solution without relying on the broadband transceiver.
2. OWA provides broadband high-speed transmission while securing seamless mobility capability.
3. OWA provides cost-effective and spectrum-efficient mobile cloud solutions by introducing the Virtual Mobile Server and the independent Virtual Register and Call Switch (VR/CS) systems.
4. OWA shifts the traditional carrier-centric service architecture to the future user-centric service delivery infrastructure.
5. The OWA mobile terminal can be extended to other mobile cloud clients including computer terminal client, television (TV) terminal clients and other terminal clients.
In the future, all mobile cloud clients including mobile terminal, computer terminal and TV terminal, etc will be synchronized to the virtual mobile server (mobile cloud server) to construct the synchronized Mobile Cloud infrastructure through IP (Internet Protocol) connections for user-centric home, office and enterprise networking convergence and service convergence.